Bustling Manhattan could be the perfect test bed to see how ITS and CV technologies perform in dense urban traffic with high doses of pedestrian-vehicle interactions. And a successful deployment could serve as a roadmap for other cities in the future. But perhaps more importantly, City officials believe deploying ITS and CV technology will bring New York a few steps closer to its goal of zero traffic deaths and injuries annually.

“NYCDOT’s planned deployment provides an ideal opportunity to evaluate connected vehicle technology and applications in tightly-spaced intersections typical in a dense urban transportation system, and is anticipated to be the largest connected vehicle technology deployment to date,” quotes the project website.

The pilot, spearheaded by the New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT), will see nearly 6,000 yellow cabs, 1,250 transit buses, 400 UPS delivery trucks and 500 City vehicles equipped with ITS and connected vehicle technology across busy portions of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The tech will enable the vehicles to “talk” to ITS/CV-equipped infrastructure installed throughout the area, including over 300 signalized intersections and roadside units. Over 100 pedestrians will also be equipped with devices that can interact with ITS/CV-equipped infrastructure.

This connectivity will enable over a dozen applications designed to enhance safety for both drivers and pedestrians. For example, drivers of connected vehicles will receive an alert before making a turn when there is a pedestrian crossing an equipped intersection. Other applications include alerting drivers when a traffic light is about to change, or warning them to reduce their speed in unsafe zones. The technology will even assist safe street crossing for pedestrians with impaired vision.

As an added bonus, the ITS/CV technology will provide NYDOT with a tremendous source of data about vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-pedestrian, and vehicle-to-infrastructure interactions over time. This could help to refine and further develop safety applications in the future.

Following Phase 1 concept development, the ITS/CV pilot is currently in Phase 2, with ongoing deployment and testing planned for 2018. Phase 3 will involve resolving issues encountered during deployment, and planning for ongoing and future applications.

To learn more, check out this video featuring the New York ITS/CV Pilot, courtesy of NYDOT.